Diocese of Sacramento

SCIENCE

ACADEMIC CONTENT

STANDARDS

for grades K - 2

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SCIENCE STANDARDS

Kindergarten

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Physical Sciences

1.0 Properties of materials can be observed, measured and predicted. As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:

1.1 objects can be described in terms of the materials they are made of (clay, cloth, paper, etc.) and their physical properties (color, size, shape, weight, texture, flexibility, attraction to magnets, floating and sinking etc.)

1.2 water can be a solid or a liquid and can be made to change back and forth from one form to the other.

1.3 water left in an open container evaporates, but water in a closed container does not.

Life Sciences

1.0 God made different types of plants and animals that inhabit the Earth. As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:

1.1 how to observe and describe similarities and differences in the behavior of plants and animals (e.g. seed bearing plants, birds fish insects.

1.2 stories sometimes give plants and animals attributes they do not really have.

1.3 how to identify major structures of common plants and animals (e.g. stems, leaves, roots arms, wings legs).

1.4 how to observe and record the changes of a caterpillar, cocoon and butterfly.

Earth Sciences

1.0 The Earth is composed of land, air and water. As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:

1.1 characteristics of mountains, rivers, oceans, valleys, deserts and local landforms.

1.2. changes in weather occur from day to day and over seasons, affecting the Earth and its inhabitants.

1.3 how to identify resources from the Earth that are used in every day life and know that many of them can be conserved.

Investigation and Experimentation

1.0 Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept, and to address the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions, and perform investigations. Students will:

1.1 observe common objects using the five senses given by God.

1.2 describe the properties of common objects.

1.3 describe the relative position of objects using one reference (e.g. above or below).

1.4 compare and sort common objects based on one physical attribute (including color, shape texture, size and weight).

1.5 communicate observations orally and in drawings of everything. They know that all we study comes from God and therefore is holy and should be respected.

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SCIENCE STANDARDS

First Grade

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Physical Science

1.0 Materials that God created come in different forms (states) including solid liquids and gases, and these forms have different attributes -

1.1 solids, liquids, and gases have different properties.

1.2 the properties of substances can change when they are mixed, cooled or heated.

1.3 solids can either sink or float.

Life Science

1.0 God created all things – living and non-living. Students will understand differences and similarities between nonliving and living things -

1.1 know that living things need air, water, and food to survive.

1.2 know that living things are made and cared for by a loving God.

1.3 know that living things move, grow, and change.

1.4 know that nonliving things do not need air, water or food.

1.5 know that nonliving things do not move, grow, and change.

1.6 be able to tell living and nonliving things apart.

2.0 All living things are made and cared for by God, however, plants and animals meet their needs in different ways -

2.1 different plants and animals inhabit different kinds of environments and have features that help them thrive in their environment.

2.2 animals eat plants and other animals for food.

2.3 animals may use plants or even other animals for shelter or nesting.

2.4 how to infer what animals eat from the shapes of their teeth.

2.5 green leaves are from making food from the sunlight.

3.0. Be able to put animals in categories by size, shape, movement, color -

3.1 know that animals have fur, feather, skin, scales, or shells.

3.2 know that animals move in different ways (swim, fly, etc.)

3.3 know that animals have different sizes.

3.4 know that animals have different shapes.

3.5 know that animals help people.

3.6 know that animals change (life cycle, metamorphosis).

4.0 Be able to use knowledge of plants -

4.1 know the parts of a plant.

4.2 know that seeds produce plants.

4.3 sort plants into categories by what they have in common.

Earth Science

1.0 God the Creator made the earth, sun, and moon. Students should:

1.1 know about the Earth, sun, and the moon.

1.2 know the Earth rotates every 24 hours.

1.3 know the difference between day and night.

1.4 know the Earth revolves around the sun.

1.5 know the moon revolves around the Earth.

1.6 know the earth is made up of land and water.

1.7 know the types of land surfaces (soil, sand, rock, clay).

1.8 know how to take care of, and respect the Earth.

2.0 The Sun Supplies Heat and Light energy to the Earth

2.1 the sun warms the land, air, and water.

2.2 light energy is reflected or absorbed when it strikes surfaces.

3.0. Weather can be observed, measured and described -

3.1 how to record changes in the weather from day to day and over the season.

3.2 the weather changes from day to day, but trends in temperature or rain and snow tend to be predictable during a season.

Investigation & Experimentation

1.0 Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept, and to address the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions, and perform investigations. Students will:

1.1 draw pictures that portray some features of the thing being described.

1.2 record observations and data with pictures, numbers, and/or written standards.

1.3 record observations on a bar graph.

1.4 describe the relative position of objects using two references (above and next to, below and left of).

1.5 make new observations when discrepancies exist between two descriptions of the same object or phenomena.

1.6 think clearly and solve problems about science (classify, decide estimate, solve, compare).

1.7 talk and write clearly about science (present, persuade, collaborate, explain, recommend).

1.8 make careful plans and use them (brainstorm, envision, research, plan, organize, persist).

1.9 use the quality process.

2.0 Be able to apply science knowledge and skills to a variety of purposes -

2.1 be able to solve problems using the scientific method (research, hypothesis, test, results, conclusion).

2.2 be able to conduct research.

2.3 be able to use scientific equipment appropriately.

2.4 know how to preserve the earth.

2.5 possess technical skills: listen/ read/ dictate/ write/ present: instructions, chart, report, proposal, and summary.

2.6 technology: word processing, Internet, AV production.

3.0 Be able to use some scientific instruments -

3.1 be able to take care of magnets, magnifying glasses, and thermometers.

3.2 know the types of magnets.

3.3 know that the magnetic field is stronger at the poles.

3.4. know what a magnifying glass is and its uses.

3.5 know what a thermometer is and its uses.

3.6 be able to read a Celsius and Fahrenheit thermometer.

3.7 be able to measure rain.

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SCIENCE STANDARDS

Grade Two

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Physical Sciences

1.0 The motion of objects can be observed and measured. As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:

1.1 the position of an object can be described by locating it relative to another object or the background.

1.2 an object’s motion can be described by recording the change in its position over time.

1.3 the way to change how something is moving is to give it a push or a pull. The size of the change is related to the strength, or the amount of “force” of the push or pull.

1.4 tools and machines are used to apply pushes and pulls (forces) to make things move.

1.5 objects near the Earth fall to the ground unless something holds them up.

1.6 magnets can be used to make some objects move without being touched.

1.7 sound is made by vibrating objects and can be described by its pitch and volume.

Life Science

1.0 God made plants and animals to have predictable life cycles. As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:

1.1 organisms reproduce offspring of their own kind. The offspring resemble their parents and each other.

1.2. the sequential stages of life cycles are different for different animals, for example butterflies, frogs, and mice.

1.3 many characteristics of an organism are inherited from the parents. Some characteristics are caused by, or influenced by, the environment.

1.4 there is variation among individuals of one kind within a population.

1.5 the germination, growth, and development of plants can be affected by light, gravity or touch, or environmental stress.

1.6 in plants, flowers and fruits are associated with reproduction.

1.7 that each person is a unique individual created by God.

1.8 that we have a moral responsibility to nurture and protect the earth God gave us.

Earth Sciences

1.0 Earth is made of materials that have distinct properties and provide resources for human activities. As the basis for understanding this concept, students know:

1.1 how to compare the physical properties of different kinds of rocks and that rock is composed of different combinations of minerals.

1.2 smaller rocks come from the breakage and weathering of larger rocks.

1.3 soil is made partly from weathered rock and partly from organic materials, and that soils differ in their color, texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support the growth of many kinds of plants.

1.4. fossils provide evidence about the plants and animals that lived long ago, and scientists learn about the past history of Earth by studying fossils.

1.5 rock, water, plants and soil provide many resources including food, fuel, and building materials that humans use.

1.6 that we all have a moral responsibility to care for the natural resources that God has given us.

Investigation And Experimentation

1.0 Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept, and to address the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

1.1 make predictions based on patterns of observation rather than random guessing.

1.2 measure length, weight, temperature, and liquid volume with appropriate tools in standard and non-standard units.

1.3 compare and sort common objects based on two or more physical attributes (including color, shape, texture, size, and weight).

1.4 write or draw descriptions of a sequence of steps, events, and observations.

1.5 understand that God gives us the gifts and talents to learn these concepts.

Science Tracking Sheet – Kindergarten

Science Tracking Sheet – First Grade

Science Tracking Sheet – Second Grade

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